Re-examining the middle-class thesis: Class profiles of families employing migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong

To what extent is employing migrant domestic workers (MDWs) a middle-class practice in Hong Kong? I drew quantitative data from the Population Census and a representative household survey to test the middle-class thesis. The results show that a significant proportion of the families that currently employ or had ever employed MDWs were not from middle-class backgrounds. As the practice of hiring MDWs spread to families from lower socio-economic background, it may be expected that the working and living conditions of MDWs may deteriorate due to the fewer resources of these families.

Essential Farmworkers and the Pandemic Crisis: Migrant Labour Conditions, and Legal and Political Responses in Italy and Spain

The agri-food system across Europe relies heavily on migrant labour. Border lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic immobilised thousands of foreign farmworkers, giving rise to fears of labour shortages and food production losses in EU countries. Farmers’ organisations sought institutional interventions to address this labour demand. Although migrant workers have become a fundamental component of core sectors in recent decades, it is only in the current health emergency that they were recognised as ‘essential’ workers. The chapter analyses the working conditions of migrant farmworkers alongside national debates and institutional interventions in Italy and Spain during the pandemic. It provides a critical comparative analysis of legal and policy interventions to address migrants’ situations of vulnerability. Both countries depend on important contingents of EU and non-EU migrant farmworkers, especially in fruit and vegetable production; moreover, they present common aspects in supply chain dynamics and labour market policies, but also specific differences in labour, migration and social policies. Both adopted measures to face the condition of irregularity of migrant workers in order to respond to labour demand in the agri-food sector and to provide these workers with safe working and living conditions during the pandemic. However, these interventions reveal shortcomings that significantly limit their impact and outcomes, calling into question to what extent migrant workers are really considered as ‘essential’ in a long-term perspective and, therefore, to what extent the current pandemic constitutes an opportunity for a new push to enforce labour and migrant rights.

The Aesthetics of the Human Beast: A Comparative Study of Zola’s L’Assommoir, Galdós’ La Desheredada and Crane’s Maggie

The concept of the human beast is assigned to the French novelist, Émile Zola, who is the first to codify principles of Naturalism, against which all future naturalist works would be compared. In his novels, especially in the saga Les Rougon-Macquart, the human beast, «la bête humaine», appears as a literary character embedded in the lower social strata, who, due to harsh working and living conditions in the French capital during the Second Empire, acts according to its most basic instincts. The actions of a human beast are violent and brutal and its behavior conditioned by limited education. In his novels, Zola applies the doctrines of biological determinism as well as the laws of heredity attained from scientific readings that were very popular among the intellectuals of the period. However, the theoretical principles recollected in Le roman expérimental (G. Charpentier et Cie Éditeurs, 1880) were not equally applied in other countries due to different literary precedents as well as diverse socio-historical and philosophical backgrounds. This paper aims to examine the nuances in the aesthetic representation of the human beast in Zola’s L’Assommoir (1877), Galdós’ La Desheredada (1881) and Crane’s Maggie, a Girl of the Streets (1843), delving into the behavioral patterns which shape the unique characteristics of their human beasts.

Socialization of Economic Subjects as a Condition for the Realization of Social Goals of Society

Socialization of the economy is a process that, on the one hand, involves the subordination of economic processes to the interests of man himself, redistribution of production results, improving working and living conditions in the direction of social goals, and, on the other hand, aimed at assimilating and using social norms, values, patterns of behavior and interaction with society in order to ensure normal functioning. Th e authors of the article are convinced that the socialization of economic entities is an objective process of development of a market-type economic system and a way to solve its problems. Th e market transformation of Ukraine’s economy has led to a number of negative consequences in the so cioeconomic life of the country, which necessitates finding mechanisms for optimal participation of economic entities in the implementation of social goals of society. Th e purpose of the article is to identify the main manifestations of socialization of the state and business in the modern economy in order to determine the level of their socialization in Ukraine in the direction of realization of social goals of society. Th e novelty of the article is the further development of the separation of manifestations of socialization of economic entities, which allowed to assess the level of socialization of the state and business in Ukraine as insuffi cient to realize their potential in achieving social goals of society. Research methods: scientifi c abstraction, analysis, scientifi c generalization, dialectical logic, deductive method. According to the authors, the main manifestations of socialization of the state are the development of its social responsibility and socialization of the budget, while the socialization of business is confi rmed by such aspects of economic life as its social responsibility and the emergence of social entrepreneurship. Th e analysis of the mentioned manifestations of socialization of economic entities in Ukraine allowed to state that the level of socialization of the state and business is insignifi cant. Th e latter is due to the fact that: the level of public welfare is low and is confi rmed by Ukraine’s place in international rankings; social expenditures of the state bud get are insuffi cient, the coeffi cient of their socialization is characterized by a declining trend with low living standards; there are no specifi c mechanisms for spreading social responsibility of business, which has almost no interest, no incentives, no experience of successful implementation of winning projects; incentives on the part of the state for the development of social entrepreneurship are insuffi cient and public awareness of its importance in solving socio-economic problems is low.

Illegal migrant Basotho women in South Africa: Exposure to vulnerability in domestic services

The illegal migration of Basotho women to South Africa in order to render domestic service is alarming because they are subjected to harsh treatment. This is a pastoral and theological concern for the church. As migrants, their struggle begins from the household circumstances that often force them to leave and seek job opportunities undocumented or without following prescribed migration procedures. They are then subjected to migration processes and procedures: for example, corruption and bribery by migration officers and illegal dealers (lirurubele). The working and living conditions in South Africa are often unconducive for illegal migrants. As economic and illegal migrants, they are often considered as lesser by prejudiced employers who treat them inhumanely. Accessing essential services also imposes a significant threat to their lives.Contribution: Through this study, the article will reveal the vulnerability faced by illegal migrant Basotho women as domestic workers in South Africa.

Qatar’s Labor Law changes and Workers’ Welfare: Attitudes & Perceptions for a Sustainable Future

From September 22 2020 to January 19 2021, the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University surveyed 2,760 individuals, including Qatari nationals, higher-income and lower-income expatriates about Qatar’s recent Labor Law changes. The survey is based on a nationally representative sample interviewed by telephone in nine different languages. The survey shows that both Qataris and resident expatriates have a mostly positive perception of the recent Labor Law changes and their impact on Qatar’s economy and the working and living conditions of expatriates. However, the findings also indicate that public awareness surrounding the new legislative reforms remains low.

Regional marketing as capitalization tool of territory resources

Any territory within the framework of its development and maintenance of the economy needs certain resources such as highly qualified workforce and external investments as the basis for creating an attractive business climate, working and living conditions. The higher the quality indicators of the economic development of the region from the point of view of territorial marketing, the higher its competitiveness and resistance to fluctuations in the economy and various markets. The fact is emphasized that regional marketing, provided that it is successfully integrated into the management of the territory, contributes to the transition of the regional economy to an innovative and socially-oriented type of economy, which today is one of the most promising from the point of view of the region’s survival in a globalized economy. The aspects of the application of regional marketing in the framework of improving the management of the territory are disclosed, and the main tasks, which it can solve regarding the promotion of a territorial product to the interregional and global market, are described. The possibilities of using regional marketing methods as effective tools for managing the process of capitalization of economic resources are determined on the example of the mechanisms of modern territorial management of the Astrakhan region. The economic indicators related to capitalization are presented, which prove the lack of investment in the economy of the Astrakhan region and the Southern Federal District, the conditions for the introduction of regional marketing as the main method of stimulating the development of the economy of the Astrakhan region are specified. Marketing strategies for the promotion and development of a territorial product have been developed, in which the process of implementing marketing technologies will be as effective as possible. There are described the tools of innovative development of the territory, based on the progressive increase in the capitalization of territorial resources, which will lead to the reorientation of the regional economy, increase the added value of the territorial product, improve the business and investment climate, and increase the competitiveness of the Astrakhan region.

Mental Health Challenges of Young Labor Migrants from the Healthcare Professionals Perspective: Lessons Learned from a Multi-Country Meeting

The mental health of young labor immigrants (YLI’s) is a public health issue that has become notably more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is well established in the literature that most YLI’s are young and healthy when they arrive in the host country. However, due to the poor living and working conditions, as well as linguistic and socioeconomic barriers to health care in the host country, their physical and mental health often deteriorates. Between 1 March 2021 and 5 March 2021, a virtual meeting was organized by Oslo Metropolitan University in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers mobility and network program for education in the Nordic and Baltic countries (Nordplus). It consisted of a multidisciplinary team of 26 participants from Nordic and Baltic countries. Topics included working and living conditions of YLI’s, prejudices towards immigrants, and mental health-related interventions for YLI’s in the participating countries. This paper draws attention to some of the mental health challenges and needs of YLI’s and to the suggestions gathered from the Nordplus meeting to combat these challenges from a healthcare professional’s perspective.

Eating behaviour and weight development of European and Asian seafarers during stay on board and at home

Background Food choices on board merchant ships are limited and seafarers repeatedly described as being at high risk of developing overweight compared to the general population. Up to date, research has not distinguished whether seafarers gain weight on board or at home and whether eating habits differ in both settings. Methods As part of the e-healthy ship project, cross-sectional data were collected in two different measurements. In the first investigation on board of three merchant ships of German shipping companies, differences in eating behaviour at home compared to on board ships were assessed for 18 Burmese, 26 Filipino and 20 European seafarers. In a second study, BMI, weight development and location of body weight change of 543 Filipino and 277 European seafarers were examined using an online questionnaire on 68 ships. Results According to the board examinations, foods and beverages consumed on merchant ships varied widely from seafarers’ diets in their home country. Burmese, Filipino and European seafarers equally reported to consume more fruit (z = 4.95, p < .001, r = .62) and vegetables (z = 6.21, p < .001, r = .79), but less coke (z = −5.00, p < .001, r = .76) when at home. Furthermore, culturally different changes were found across all other foods and beverages. The online questionnaire revealed that 45.8% of seafarers were overweight (55.4% Europeans vs. 40.8% Filipinos, p < .001) and 9.8% obese. Moreover, a higher percentage of Europeans compared to Filipinos reported weight gain over the course of their professional career (50.2% vs. 40.7%, p = .007). A sub-analysis of seafarers with weight gain found that more Europeans than Filipinos gained weight at home (43.9% vs. 23.1%, p < .001). Conclusions Both, home and working on board merchant ships, represent very different living environments which may affect seafarers’ lifestyle and eating habits in various ways and thus could favour or inhibit weight gain. From our results, it appears that the body weight and eating habits of Asian seafarers in particular are adversely affected by the working and living conditions on board. Further prospective studies are required to prove this hypothesis.

INFLUENCES OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND SOCIAL CAPITAL ON DEPRESSION AMONG LAOTIAN MIGRANT WORKERS IN NORTHEAST THAILAND

Migrant workers usually encounter socio-economic and living hardships resulting in complex physical, social, and mental health problems. This research aimed to determine the influence of quality of life (QOL) and social capital on depression among Laotian migrants working in the Northeast of Thailand, which has not been studied on such issues before. This cross-sectional study analyzed the data from the previous study related to the quality of Life of Laotian Migrant Workers in the Northeast of Thailand, which was conducted among 1,477 respondents using a structured questionnaire interview. One thousand two hundred five participants passed the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The generalized linear mixed model was performed to identify the influence of QOL and social capital on depression when controlling the effects of co-variates, presenting adjusted OR and 95% confidence interval. Among 1,205 respondents, 9.29 % reported having depressive symptoms. The depressive symptom was significantly associated with having low to moderate levels of QOL, low to moderate levels of social capital. Other significant co-variates were high stress levels, chronic disease, work permit absence, menstruation lack, physical exercise absence, and living in a room for more than four people. Nearly one-tenth of Laotian migrant workers had depressive symptoms. Quality of life, social capital, stress, socio-economic, working and living conditions, health status, and health behaviors were associated with depression among those migrant workers working in the Northeast of Thailand.